Aftermath
by Morguemama
Summary: Oneshot Kero and Eldan rediscover their love after the they battle Ancar's forces. Tissue warning! Rated T.


I've always wanted to write this, romantic little thing that I am. Obviously, this is AU, if Kerowyn had not been hit over the head at the end of By the Sword. If you have it, listen to Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough", Coldplay's "What If" and "Fix You," and Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek".

**Disclaimer**: As much as I love them, Kerowyn, Eldan and Co. are not mine. I make no profit.

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Eldan chose a random cushion and let his battered body fall on it, groaning softly as bruises announced themselves. Myste looked up from her contemplation of Alberich, whose head was pillowed on one of her thighs, sound asleep. Even in sleep, one of his hands had slipped under the knee of the leg he was using as a pillow, wrapping possessively. He slept on his side and Myste had spread his long, freshly washed hair behind his head to dry. It made Eldan well aware of the fact that Kerowyn was not doing the same for him.

"I thought you'd be with Kero, Eldan."

Eldan reclined on the pillow, stretching his legs out. "She is eating with her troops in the mess tent. Apparently it is tradition." He did not sound thrilled about it.

"She isn't eating any body parts, is she?" Daren asked as he walked through the flap of the command tent, Selenay coming in behind him.

"Not that I know of." Eldan remembered the dream in which she informed him her Bolts had tried to trick her into eating the heart of the leader of the force they had decimated. She had been outraged while he had about died of laughter. That episode was what had spawned those rumors about her eating select parts of those who went up against her. Kero had actually eaten a chunk of the meat in her stew before she realized it was rather thin and stringy, not mention it tasted odd.

"Well, that's a relief."

Even from across the camp, the sounds of the Bolt's revelry could be heard from their mess tent. He wondered if the noise was giving her the usual headache.

Daren chose a cushion next to Eldan and sat. Selenay sat close to him, drooping under the weight of her own exhaustion. Ancar's forces were defeated, but there was plenty of mopping up to do. It was late in the night before all the wounded had been seen to and the dead separated to be buried by all of their units. The Skybolts were planning to bury their dead the following day. They had been laid out in neat rows, covered in canvas from their tents that was weighted down with their own weapons. A force of Bolts that changed every mark stood guard over their fallen comrades. Kerowyn had stood the first watch before going to have a late night dinner. Eldan had not seen her since she was Chosen. Now he was here, laying on a cushion in the command tent and wishing he were somewhere else.

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Kero sat in the mess tent, surrounded by her officers and troops, most of who were on their way to being drunk. She had only sipped at her mug of ale and poked at her stew, making the obligatory references to the origin of the meat. She had eaten the bread one enterprising cook had shaped into a man and crowned with a piece of parchment. Kero had promptly removed the tiny crown, placing it on her own head before biting the head off the bread doll. Her troops had enjoyed that and settled down to their own dinners. She continued to pick at her own dinner, finding her own usual post-battle lack of appetite was worse than usual.

"You're depressing me, Cap'n." Shallan's voice was tart as she dug into her stew. "Why don't you just go find the man and sleep with him?"

"Find who?" Kero did not even look up from her stew. She knew exactly who Shallan was talking about. Gies did not fall for it.

"Is there any other man who has been trying to get your breaches off lately Captain? If there is, let me know and I'll take care of him."

Kero did look up at that. "While I appreciate the offer, you know I am perfectly capable to take care of myself. And he knows the Bolts are my first priority." As she looked around the mess tent, seeing couples finding each other and rejoicing, she remembered her words to him when he had confronted her that morning in the hedge. _There might be room now…_

_:You're_ _being obstinate, Chosen.:_ Sayvil's words startled her. She was not yet used to have a horse talking in her head. _:I'm_ _not a horse and you are plenty used to people mucking about in your head; Eldan's been doing it for years.:_

_:Not_ _with my knowledge. I thought they were dreams.:_

_:Denial.:_ Sayvil said it with relish. _:You_ _knew the entire time exactly what was going on. You just did not want to admit to yourself that you love him as much as he loves you.:_

_:He doesn't know what I am.:_

_:On the contrary. If anyone knows, it's him. He loves you anyway. What are you sitting there moping for? I want to sleep and you're bothering me. Go seduce him or something.:_

"Sayvil says you guys are right."

_:Of_ _course I am.:_

"Sayvil is a smart horsie, Cap'n. You should listen to her."

Kerowyn buried her face in her hands. "Goddess. I'm as nervous as…well."

Shallan grinned evilly. "As when you slept with Prince Daren?"

Gies hooted with laughter and Kero cracked her fingers to glare at Shallan from between them. "I am never telling you secrets of my sex life again."

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Myste dug a coin out of her beltpurse. "I'll flip. Heads, you stay here and mope. Tails, you go find that woman, kiss her senseless and don't emerge from her tent until tomorrow at the earliest."

"Don't bother with the coin," Daren muttered. He was half-asleep and Selenay had succumbed long before, leaning on his shoulder. "I am telling you this as a friend and former lover of Kero's: go seduce her. Otherwise, she'll pick it all apart until there is nothing between you but annoyance."

"Is that what happened between the two of you?" Eldan's question was quiet and intense.

Daren snorted. "Hell, no. My brother tried to kill this lovely lady here, my father died, my other brother became King, I was named Lord Marshall and Kero grew up overnight. I grew up the next day." His eyes opened and he regarded Eldan seriously. "She's a special woman, Herald. I only know of two men who have been able to appreciate that, and we're both sitting here. Don't let her ruin it."

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One of her scouts was sitting in the corner of the mess tent, surrounded by his friends who were working hard to bring him out of his solid depression. Kero had not recognized him at first when he had come in and sat down. Now she realized why. His partner was not with him. She had been a dynamic woman, a perfect compliment to his personality, and he to hers. Kero had never seen them separated in the all the years they had been with the Bolts. Now she was among the ranks of the canvas clad. He had not eaten anything that had been put in front of him. Now his friends were trying to get him drunk, but he refused to touch the mug of ale they put in front of him. He stared into space, eyes dazed. Kero feared she would be bringing his body back down here in a few weeks to bury beside his partner.

Sitting there and watching him, the realization that she was sitting in the wrong tent sank deep. She pushed her bowl and mug away and rose from the split log bench, feeling her troops' eyes on her as she walked across the tent to the scout. He looked up when she put a hand on his shoulder, his dazed eyes meeting her own damp eyes. She squeezed his shoulder.

"She'll be all right." Her voice was tight. "You'll see her again."

"Promise?" His voice was husky and his eyes begged.

"Bet your ass."

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_:Idiot.:_ Ratha's Mindvoice was bland. _:Go_ _find her.:_

Eldan nodded and rose from his cushion before Myste could flip the coin.

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Kero turned from her scout with the solid intention of finding Eldan. What happened beyond that was up in the air, but she wanted to be with him tonight.

"Go find 'em, Cap'n," she heard Shallan murmur as she stalked past the table and into the main aisle of the tent, pace quickening. Similar encouragements were called from her troops and she accelerated until she was just short of a jog. The flap of the tent opened and she had no further to go to find him. He met her in the middle of the tent, hands reaching out and catching her hips to bring her flush against him. His eyes were hot with purpose, boring into hers, his jaw tight. Then one hand moved from her hip to cup the back of her head and he was pulling her face toward his, his head lowering until his lips met hers. There, in front of her troops, Eldan kissed her like no other man had ever kissed her.

He battered her defenses, looking for weaknesses and exploiting them when he found them. She was surrounded by his scent, digging her fingers into the biceps of the arm that held her against him, holding him just a fiercely. Their minds twined together, shields dissolving until they melted into each other. It was more intimate than anything she had ever felt and she clung to it, all of the exhaustion and worry from the past few days welling up. Her legs weakened and she let him take her weight, gathering her in his arms.

The character of the kiss changed, going from hot passion induced by the battle to aching tenderness that caused tears to slide down her face. His mind soothed hers and hers soothed him, easing the worst of the sharp edges brought on by the death of friends and so many of their people. In the back of her mind was her scout, who most likely would be alone for the rest of his life. With it was her realization that she had almost died before she could be with Eldan one last time.

:_I_ _don't want to be alone anymore.:_ She whispered it in his mind.

_:No_ _more.:_ It was a vow.

The kiss broke on a sigh and her head fell to his shoulder, her eyes closed. He pressed his face into her hair for a moment, breathing in the scent of leather, weapon's oil and the underlying pure scent of Kero. When he felt his heart begin to unclench, he reached down and slipped an arm under her knees, cradling her as he turned and left the tent.

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Alberich grumbled as the cheering from the Skybolts' mess tent washed over the rest of the camp. Stirring, he pressed a gentle kiss to Myste's leg and rolled over, knocking her to the ground. Satisfied that she, too, was now resting, he pulled himself up until he could tuck her in next to him.

"Given, it was, that those two would together be. No cheering is needed. Let tired old men sleep."

Daren chuckled from across the tent. He had fallen over onto Eldan's cushion and tucked Selenay against him. "Whatever you say, old man."

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The next morning, Eldan was with Kero when she received a note from Shallan. Her scout had died during the night. He had simply gone to sleep and never woke up. Kero and Eldan joined the burial detail; they laid the scout and his lover to rest in the same grave.


End file.
